Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-04-08

49, SSSAy AOOAt 1
Don't call it at all; when l want it, Ipo
and get it."
The soldier, Of course, felt bluffed and
sat on" but the next time the old sea-doc
had occasion to use his quadrant, he took
some pains to call this man aft and explain
the use OF the instrument.
On another occasion he was scoldinp
somebody for throwing some refuse over
board to the windward.
Throw nothing to the wind'ard," he
said, "but hot water and ashes."
"Why throw those things to the wind
ward!"' was innocently asked.
Because they'll blow right back in your
blarsted eyes, and learn you better next
time"
On the 18th of December, in the Gulf of
Mexico. the only ship sighted on our long
voyage was spoken-the r. j. Southland,
from New York. Our Captain took his
trumpet and went through a course Of
hoarse bawling with the master of the
Southland, most of which was all Greek to
us %bystanders, but out of which we did
understand that the other man said he was
ten days out from New York, and our skip
per reported the Voltigeur six days from
Port Royal.
We oil knew that this was the ninth day
OF our voyage, and as I, in my innocence.
thought that sailors were the most truthful
and conscientious of men, I took the liberty
an hour later, when Captain Bly, seemed to |
be in good humor, of asking him if he
hadn't made q mistake in his trumpet-talk |
with the master of the Southland.
mistaken No! How"
"Why, you said We were six days out from
Port Royal"
$50 we are; anc more, too"
II don't see why you wanted to deceive
him."
Look here, young fellow, you're green!
than 1 was by his. He had the first saw,
and told a %whopper. Do you suppose I'd
have him beat me lying?-about the sailing
of this vessel, too2 I guess not"
Some of u detachment, before they
learned better, ventured to speak to the
man at the wheel; but they had some plain
and pointed talk from the Captain on that
subject, which they did not forget. It was
O picture to see the sailor standing there
almost like a statue, grasping the wheel
with both hands, and waiting orders.
Every order that was given him he would
at once repeat, 10 be sure that he had it
correctly.
whats the course?' the Captain would
ask.
as. w. by s., sir"
Keep her nothing to the southland"
Nothing to the southland, SIR"
The process of weighing anchor for the
start at Port Royal Harbor was witnessed
with interest by the soldiers. Thrusting
their bars into the capstan, the sailors
marched round and round till the anchor
came up, timing their movements by o song
in which all joined, the burden Of which
was:
aHeave, oh, my jolly seamen,
Heayc her, o., heave her. or"
AS we approached the mouth of the
Mississippi tho water shoaled; and one
morning in foggy weather and with quite
q seq on, the Captain thought it necessary
to take s%oundings. One of the sailors
went down the side on a ladder. and,
whirling the lead at the end of the long
line, he called out the fathoms of each cast,
which the mate put down in his book.
"Six!"
sand q half fve!"
"Quarter less!"
"Five!"
"And q quarter!"
Sand q half"
"Quarter less"
And SO on.
We had two deaths from typhoid fever in
the Gulf. One of the poor boys was buried
at midnight, with all the ceremony we could
give him-buried in the sea, with an hun
bred pounds of iron at his feet. The other
was taken in q boat to q mud island at the
mouth of the Mississippi, and there laid at
rest much the more desolate burial of the
two.
Our voyage was crowded with incidents.
But there was one night among the Bahia
mas, when it came very near having a sum-
mary end. and when We narrowly escaped
being landed at Nassau, as paroled prison.
ers of the Southern ~Confederacy.
In other words, we came very near being
captured by the dreaded Alabama.
Ihave already mentioned that we saw no
sail but the Southland. In ordinary times
this would have been strange. as we pur-
sued the usual route OF sailing vessels from
the North for the Gulf ports but at that
time it was easily accounted for. The Ala
bama was in these waters, and had l terally
swept them of our commerce.. Any Ameri-
can vessel that escaped her torch in these
seas, in the latter weeks of the year 1862,
was renal kably lucky.
On the 7th of December, the California
steamer Ariel, on her voyage from New
York to Aspinwall, was hailed by the Ala
bonded, and then allowed to proceed.
On the 18th of January, the United
States war; steamer Hatteras was sunk off
Galveston by the Alabama, after q heroic
fight.
1t was on the goth of December that Cap
tain BLY, discovered that the Voltiseur had
run too far to the southeast. A ter his
noon observation, he changed course, rum
ming northwest, toward the island of Abaco.
1t should be explained that the naviga-
ton of the channels of the Bahamas is no
easy task. Captain BLY, was constantly
consulting his charts and directing the
course, before we sighted the island of
Cuba. There are several hundred of the
Bahama Islands, one of them being the
first land that Columbus discovered; the
water shoals rapidly about them; several
times we saw the white clay bottom q little
more than two falhoms down. Great care
and watchfulness were necessary, in such a
81, uatlon, to keep from getting aground.
At eight o'clock that night it was very
dark, aud the water shoaling. The Cap
Ian decided to run no risk, but to anchor
till daylight. So,
off the port side. Captain BY looked, and
pronounced them the lights of a large